My name is Andrew Papp, and I am declaring my candidacy for
President
of the United States of America in 2020.

It is time that the citizens of United States of America fix this
country. It is still the greatest country in the world.
I
have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit, and I can say
without
hesitation
that the US is my favorite country, has the most to offer... the
most
beauty, the most promise, the most opportunity, diversity, and the
most
freedom.

While there have been many great achievements and advances since the
1960's, there have also been declines and areas of stagnation.
I believe
that our country is stuck in a rut, and it is our job to fix it -
your
job and mine. Together we can make enormous changes for the
better in the United States in a short time. One great thing
we
have is a Democracy. So, the only excuse for why things are
the
way they are is that we have let them become this way. There
is
no reason that we have to take "no" for an answer. Let's get
started right now and make the changes we need for ourselves and
future
generations.

Here is the foundation of my platform, what I would like to do, and
if
you agree, how YOU CAN HELP:

Issues and Positions:

PRO:

Citizen Participation

Education

Defense

Protection of the Environment

Personal Responsibility of Citizens, especially those in
government or
corporate positions

Separation of Church and State

Protecting ALL our Constitutional Rights and Freedoms

Sustainable Energy Policy of Self-sufficiency

Choice (personal freedom in reproductive issues)

Stem-cell Research

Modern, affordable Healthcare, but not forced national
Healthcare

Legalization and quality control of most substances

Cooperating with your neighbors and community

Equal Rights and Equal Responsibilities for All People

Free Competition in the Marketplace within rules to prevent
monopolies
and exploitation

ANTI:

Corruption / Lobbying

Censorship

Abuse of Government Power

Welfare for slackers

Overuse of video games

Invasion of privacy

The "Two Party System" of Democrats and Republicans

The electoral college

Using petroleum as something to burn

Letting people run across the borders of our country

Government spending money the people didn't authorize

Prosecution of "victimless" crimes

Tolerating Violence

Tolerating Stupidity

Tolerating Incompetence

Why are you running for President of the United States rather
than
running for a
local, state or lower federal position, first?

Because I want to make a real difference to what is happening in
this
country, in the big picture. Only the President has the power
to
direct national policy. By having a President that represents
the
interest of the People, Congress will have to participate in the
"revolution" as well. If your congressional, state, and local
representatives do not go along with what you want to accomplish, it
will be obvious, and you will have the opportunity to replace them
at
the next election. Our ideas and wishes will
finally have a powerful voice. Only by electing a President
andCongress that
is not Republican or Democrat will we be able to break the political
gridlock.

Has anyone ever done something like that successfully?

Whether or not we agree with his policies, Arnold Schwarzenegger
did. He used his celebrity status to get elected Governor of
the
state of California as his first real political office. He was
not
Governor because he needed the money. He stated a clear agenda,
and
when California's state representatives refused to act, he was willing
to
go back to the people for direct support by putting the issues on a
ballot. Another interesting example is Ross Perot. While
he
ultimately turned out to be a nutty person, he inspired America with
the idea that we can get back to basics and through participation,
fix
our economy and political system. He, as an Independent
candidate, was able to get 18.8% of the vote! We need a
President
with the right agenda for this
country, and who the people are willing or even excited to support.

Do you have any record of accomplishments to stand on?
How
do we
know you are a person who we can trust to get things done?
Tell
us about yourself.

I was born and grew up in Michigan, in the Detroit area. I was
very smart as a little kid, very creative, logical, an independent
thinker, and I was never afraid to speak my mind. I was always
an
inventor at heart, and liked to build various gadgets and understand
how everything worked. As a Junior in a public High School, I
entered the local Science fair. I decided to build an electron
microscope from parts I could make in electronics class, metal shop,
and things I could borrow. I ended up winning a Grand Prize
from
the Detroit Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair, and they sent
me
to the International Science fair. There, I won First Prize as
well. Though I wasn't a good athlete, I got 3 athletic
"letters"
from my High School for being the team statistician for Football,
Basketball, and Baseball. I enjoyed being part of the team,
getting to call the newspapers with the highlights, and the
aftergame
parties. I won admission to the Lawrence Institute of
Technology
Summer Science Institute, so I got to take college level science,
math,
and computer programming classes during the summer while I was still
in
High School.

I got my Bachelor's Degree from the University of Rochester, in
Rochester, NY. My major was Molecular Genetics and Computer
Science. I took a lot of graduate-level courses, got to
participate in cutting edge DNA and Computer Science research, and
installed the first DNA sequence analysis software on the U of R
Medical School's computer when I was 20. That work helped me
get
a full
scholarship to Harvard, where I got a Ph.D. in Cell and
Developmental
Biology. As soon as I started working in a lab, I noticed that
a
lot of the equipment is very overpriced and there are a lot of
boring,
repetitive things that the scientists have to do. So, I
started
inventing my own lab equipment. Other people wanted it, too,
so,
instead of becoming a Professor, I decided to start a company where
we
invent and manufacture equipment to help the scientists understand
how
life works, so they can understand the mechanisms of development,
aging, and cancer, and help cure diseases.
I have learned to manage and care for employees,
and
built a company that has lasted 28 years and been profitable every
year, without borrowing any money. My "secret" is to work hard
for things I care about: talk, listen, get up early, stay up late,
do
whatever it takes. If we all pitch in, we can make a HUGE
difference in this country in a short time.

Is "faith-based" government good for the United States?

Some politicians have suggested that we have or should have a
"faith-based" government. That might sound good, until you
think
about it. It is human nature to have faith, and we can derive
great strength from it. But, faith is personal and should stay
that way, and not be part of the government. Otherwise,
eventually, we
will have someone else's faith imposed on us. Here is the kind
of thing a Faith-based Government really says: "There is no evidence
to
convince a reasonable person, but
we want you to support this anyway." Don't forget that the
United
States was founded largely as a safe place of religious
freedom.
People from all over Europe and all over the world came here to
escape
religious persecution, and our Constitution was set up to prevent
the
government, or the majority, from shoving their faith down anyone's
throat. This freedom sets the United States apart from many
other
countries. It is a 240-plus year history we should be proud
of,
and
defend. Democracy does not require
"faith" except that we should, individually, have faith in the
democratic process. What it does require is knowledge, caring,
and participation. That is why WE can and will win.

To make progress, we need to replace superstition and fear with
logic
and concern. Why is it that people who question things like
whether concentration camps really existed, whether astronauts
really
went to the moon, etc. are ready to believe that they should kill
people in the name of God, or that the positions of
constellations have relevance to people's behaviors or propensities,
without requiring evidence? The cure for this irrationality is for each
person
to take responsibility for what he or she thinks and what he or she
spreads to others..... plus education, free speech, a free
press, and sources of news that are unbiased

What do you think has gone wrong with our government and how
would you fix it?

As citizens, we elect and hire federal, state, and local governments
to administer things - mostly to keep us safe, so we can concentrate
on our own lives and earning a living. We hire police,
firemen, judges, a military, teachers, legislators, etc. They
are our employees; they are supposed to work for us; we are not
supposed to work for them! One key to fixing the current
situation is to pass a Constitutional Amendment stating that laws
must be applied equally to all government employees just as laws
apply to every citizen. This will make Congress think
carefully when they propose new healthcare legislation, or any other
law. It will also make them think more seriously about
breaking a law. The other thing we can do is participate
in our community and society - we can have a smaller, less expensive,
less invasive government if we are willing to do more ourselves.

Is the American "Melting Pot" of cultures and religions a good
thing?

I think it is easy to tell if most traditions are good or bad for our
country. If they are inclusive, inviting, cooperative, and
open
to discussion, they are good; it they are used to exclude,
segregate,
or split one group of people from another, they are bad. Is
there
a tradition, festival, or belief that you think has value? Then
share
it with your neighbors and add something to everyone's life - and be
ready to examine your own beliefs if they have other ideas. On
the other hand, if you think your ideas, religion, non-English
language, beliefs and
traditions are right, and everyone else's are wrong - you don't
belong
in the United States. I want to be clear about my position on
language. Language is incredibly important and powerful.
We
all need to be able to communicate, learn, and express ourselves
clearly in English - otherwise we cannot function as citizens of a
country. Any resources spent to make sure everyone in America
can
communicate well in English are well spent, and essential for our
Democracy. People who want to go over and above, and learn
other
languages and traditions from their heritage.... great! But,
so
as to be one people, a nation united, not divided, all our
schools and commerce should be conducted in English.

What are your thoughts on the Iraq War and the War on Terror?

The Iraq War was mishandled badly, to say the least.
First,
giving them the benefit of doubt, President George W. Bush, and the
rest of our Federal Government, sent us into Iraq based on faulty
information. The American People were told that we needed to
attack Iraq to fight the terrorism responsible for the September 11,
2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, and because Iraq
had
amassed, and was ready to deploy Weapons of Mass Destruction.
But, we soon learned that Saddam Hussein, though he was a ruthless
dictator, had no connection to Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, or the
9/11
attack, nor did Iraq have any Weapons of Mass Destruction.
There
are a variety of theories why Bush rushed to attack Iraq, rather
than
waiting for better evidence from UN inspectors or deeper support
from
the International Community.

Let's pretend that Bush did have a good reason to attack Iraq and
liberate it from Saddam Hussein... it was still badly
mismanaged.
Our goal was to get rid of Saddam, and make an ally of the Iraqi
People. The way to do that would have been to go in with
enough
force to cleanly take over the country, and start making things
better
for the people than what they had previously known - to show them a
shining example of the US and democracy. Instead, our
government
did the opposite. We destroyed their power plants, water
plants
and homes, leaving them much worse than they had been before we got
there. We didn't improve most lives, and we ruined many.
We
accidentally killed many civilians. The Bush / Cheney
government
awarded huge government contracts to Haliburton, the company where
Cheney was the CEO - a clear conflict of interest. Even if
Cheney
did not stand to personally profit millions of dollars due to the
increase in value of his stock options, Haliburton should have been
barred from receiving the contracts simply to prevent the appearance
of
a conflict of interest. Those contracts should have gone to
smaller US companies and companies all over the world... and
especially
to Iraqi companies when possible. Then everyone would know
that
we really cared about the issues of Iraq and were not there to make
a
profit. We could have given every single man, woman and child
in
Iraq $10,000 (or spent that on making their lives so much better)
and
still have spent less that we have on a war that has severely
tarnished
the US reputation all over the world. Bush had a chance to
earn
their love, but he blew it.

Out of the destruction and pain, many Iraqis have steeled their
hatred
of America, and out of their increased poverty and chaos, they have
turned to religious and political violence against each other and
against US troops. Now that we have stuck our nose into their
business and created a bigger mess that we found, it would not be
appropriate for us to simply leave, as much as we would like
to.
We have to make sure that the country is stabilized and set
on
a good course. I believe that this is still possible, if the
US
begins to operate with clear integrity. By changing our own
government and leadership to one that is respectable, the
International
Community and the Iraqi People will once again come to respect
America
as the shining beacon of Democracy.

What do you think about President Obama's administration?

On the plus side, Obama seems to be a more
intelligent
person than Bush Jr., but that is not saying much. I hear many
people, who were hopeful, asking, "Where is the Obama I voted
for?" Unfortunately, I think the Obama presented in the
democratic party's multi-million dollar media blitz was largely a
fictional character. He campaigned against the "Patriot Act",
but then stood by as it was renewed. He funneled hundreds
of
billions of dollars to bail out the banks and other corporations
that
squandered their money at the expense of others (and the people who
bought more house than they could afford). He created a
"stimulus
package" that stimulates (with more billions of dollars) the growth
of
predominantly government programs rather than small
businesses. I
must say I
was embarrassed when he was given the Nobel Peace Prize
after
less than
a year in office... for what? We'd be proud of an American
President who received one, but we'd really like to see him earn it,
first.

Obama's hypocrisy about standing up for Freedom
has became clear. On December 31, 2011, while we were celebrating
New Years, Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law. This
gives the government the right to say anyone is a terrorist, and make them
disappear into a Military Prison, and make them disappear without any legal
rights, such as the right to an attorney - including US Citizens! This
means that if the government doesn't like something you say or do, they
can brand you a terrorist and send you to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (the
prison Obama promised to close, but didn't). Click this link
to read about it on Wikipedia. On March 9, 2012, Obama signed H.R. 347 into law. This
gives the government the right to throw citizens in federal prison for 1 to 10 years for protesting
at or near sites where the President (or anyone protected by the Secret Service) is or may be, and at locations or events of "national significance". Click this link to read about this and get a link to a pdf file of actual text of the new law. It's only one page - read it!

While he was a great speaker, Obama failed to get rid of human rights violations and civil rights violations
related to Homeland Security rules imposed under Bush, and then
authorized and signed bills for even more of the same violations of our Constitutional Rights. He
has taken up right where Bush left off, signing legislation into
law that potentially abolishes our 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment rights. Click here to read the
rights we're supposed to have. Read them before they are all gone. Fight against anyone and any branch of government that tries to take them away from you or from anyone else.

This wording is specified in Article Two, Section One, Clause Eight of the US Constitution:
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

How long had it been since we've had a President who upheld that oath and preserved our rights rather than signed
laws to trample them? I honestly believe that for the USA to survive as a democracy, we
need to get the Democrats and the Republicans out. These parties
and their candidates are not of the people, by the people, or for the
people... they are bought, paid for, and run by "special interest
groups". The Founding Fathers of the United States of Americ a
foresaw the need for a peaceful revolution from time to time, and
they gave us a way to do it - the power to vote.

What are your thoughts on the Trump administration?

I have one good thing to say about President Trump: The fact that he won the election for President of the United States proves that you don't have to be chosen by the Republicans or the Democrats to win. Both parties hated him, and he didn't have the support of Main Stream Media.... yet he won! He spent only 1/5 of what the DNC and Hillary Clinton spend.... yet he won! That means the the country is ready for change.
Now it is time for the citizen of the USA to de-polarize and come together again as one community. We can heal our environment and our reputation as the shining beacon of freedom without sacrificing capitalism or our booming economy.

Obama and Trump failed to properly reform Healthcare. Do you have a feasible plan?

I'm glad you asked - yes I do. I would create competition between Medicare and the private health care industry by allowing all people to buy into Medicare, at any age, on a sliding price schedule based on their income. This would give everyone basic coverage. Very wealthy senior citizens who have retired can keep paying a Medicare premium - they don't need it to be free. This will help pay for those who can't afford basic coverage. However, the private insurance and healthcare industry is free to compete with Medicare and offer better coverage if they can. This compeition will keep Medicare more efficient, and private insurance costs competitive.

As Thomas Jefferson said, "A government big enough to give you
everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you
have..." So, let's take control of our government, downsize it, and let responsible citizens take care of all that we can ourselves.

democracyparty.org

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE IN MAKING A
DIFFERENCE?

The first thing you can do, is share your comments:

If I am taking positions you think are wrong, tell me why they are
wrong and what we should do.

Tell other people about this grass-roots movement. Send an
e-mail
to your friends with the URL of this website. Talk about what
you
would like to see change in this country with your friends and
family -
see what comments they have to offer. If you're brave and want
some fun, start talking about it to people who are not your
close
friends... people at work... people waiting in line at the store.

If you want to help me, please do! You can help write my
"position papers." You can help write ads.

You can put a
link to this page on your own website, which will help this move to
the
top of search engines like Google and Yahoo and Bing. The URL
is:http://democracyparty.org
You can make a website or animated movie. The key is to do
SOMETHING and do it NOW. Send me an e-mail just to say
Hi.
Send it to:Andy@DemocracyParty.org

Thank you!

Andrew Papp

*** The courage to
begin
is what separates dreamers from achievers. ***